JEWISHJACKSONVILLE.ORG | VOL. 32 NO. 14 | December 2019 – KISLEV 5780
End of year, great time for giving
Champagne Brunch to feature best selling author, Kristin Harmel
By Alan Margolies Executive Director
While I never offer tax advice, it continues to be safe to say that December is a great time to pay pledges, to make outright payments to charities, give appreciated assets or to set up donor advised funds for future giving. Generally, if our deductions are itemized, making charitable contributions can help decrease tax bills. Many philanthropic organizations in America receive over 70% of their funds in December. Our Federation relies on an excellent collection experience this month, enabling us to stay current in our allocations throughout the year and to sustain our mission. Please contact your accountants, For more tax preparinfo on charitable ers and financial giving options, visit advisors jewishjacksonville.org to learn how
Published Monthly
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Jacksonville, FL Permit No. 146
best to take advantage of the best tax savings strategy and a wide variety of ways in which you can make year-end giving work best for your situation. Live generously–donate to the 2020 Annual Campaign and make a difference in your community today or open a Donor Advised Fund with our Jewish Foundation. With the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida, you can look forward to giving back.
Champagne Brunch Co-Chairs, Joan Rosenberg and Danielle Leder.
By Lauren Rickoff Director, Campaign & Women’s Philanthropy
This year’s Champagne Brunch explores many themes of World War II told through the voice of best-selling author, Kristin Harmel. Her latest book, The Winemaker’s Wife, takes place in the 1940’s in the Champagne region of France, highlighting the champagne industry and its resistance during German occupation. “I’m thrilled to be kicking off my 2020 book tour with a visit to Jacksonville, a city I first grew to love when I was in college just an hour away at the University of Florida,” Harmel said. “I’m looking forward to connecting with readers through the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Northeast Florida, and I’m excited to share my love of both champagne and history at this year’s Champagne Brunch!” In her best-selling book, the Room on
Rue Amelie, which also takes place in France, Harmel explores how allied pilots were hidden and secretly brought out of France. Growing up in Florida, Harmel also connected the war to the sugar cane fields of central Florida by describing the prisoner of war experience in When We Meet Again. This year’s co-chairs, Danielle Leder and Joan Rosenberg were thrilled that they could share the opportunity to hear Kristin with so many women throughout Northeast Florida. “I am excited that the women of
River Garden Celebrates 30 Years in Mandarin
8505 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32217
RABBINICALLY SPEAKING
The Flames Burn On By Rabbi Yehuda Applebaum
Thirty years ago, River Garden Hebrew Home for the Aged relocated from the original three-acre site on Stockton Street in Jacksonville’s Riverside to its current 40-acre campus in Mandarin. On Tuesday, December 10 at 10:30 a.m. a celebratory event for residents, family, friends and guests will be held at River Garden to honor the milestone date. “From the beginning, River Garden has been inspired by Jewish values and has served people of all faiths from northeast Florida, and beyond,” River Garden CEO Martin ‘Marty’ A. Goetz said. “Over the years we’ve added programs and earned many awards. But it’s our commitment to excellence and the mission that’s at the core of everything we do.”
Each night of Chanukah we light another candle representing a miracle: oil for one night lasted eight. What about the great miracle that they were victorious against the Greeks? Typically people war for control of land and/or its people. But the war against the Greeks was about philosophy and culture; to impose their Hellenist way of thinking. Why did the Jewish people oppose their philosophy? The Nachmondies says (Livitikus:8) The Greeks only believed that which they were able to sense. Anything they could not see, hear, or feel didn’t exist–which is a very arrogant thing to say: Anything that I can’t understand doesn’t exist. Take gravity, for example, when an object falls we cannot see, hear, feel, taste or smell gravity, yet we see its effect. It’s foolish to think the idea of gravity doesn’t exist. It’s an undisputed fact of nature–since we see its effect. By contrast, Judaism is predicated on the idea that we cannot see, hear, feel or understand, nevertheless, we believe that G-d exists. What we do understand is just the tip of the iceberg. Our name Yehudi means to admit–we admit that it’s beyond our understanding, our intelligence.
See RIVER GARDEN, p. 6
See RABBINICALLY, p. 6
Young volunteers Steve Wolchok, Andy Siegel and Brian Young were just a few of the first teens to volunteer on our new campus.
By Kari Bell
Jewish Federation of Northeast Florida
the Jewish Federation and Foundation will have the opportunity to connect with one another and hear a fabulous speaker and noted author, Kristin Harmel,” Rosenberg said. Harmel’s stories are rich with historical drama and emotional depth. Attend the Champagne Brunch on January 5, 2020 to hear more. Visit jewishjacksonville.org to register for this event.